Question for Resort Front Desk CMs

[Ho-say]

Although I make an assumption that you are using the MAry POppins contraction.

In addition - from what I recall, MAPO is the old name for the manufacturing and production arm of Imagineering before it all merged under WDI. From what I've read (but cannot confirm), Walt Disney used the profits from Mary Poppins to start it up....therefore the derivative of the name MAry POppins

[Christine43]

this trip is a present to her from me because she's been an amazing rock for me to lean on in the last few years (dealing with my mom's breast cancer, my father's alcoholism, both of their recovery, and the end of my 7 year relationship with the man I planned to marry.) Obviously, lots of drama in my life the past few years and she's always been there for me.

Wow, I wish I had friends like you two. I don't have any room advice (we're an All Stars family) but I wanted to say I hope you are doing much better, your family is ok and you are a great friend as she is.

[BRWombat]

Wow, two new folks in one thread, and neither I nor BW caught them very quickly. Sorry!

Deb and mapo,
to from :wallaby: and !!! :D: :D: :D:

[Shorty82]

In addition - from what I recall, MAPO is the old name for the manufacturing and production arm of Imagineering before it all merged under WDI. From what I've read (but cannot confirm), Walt Disney used the profits from Mary Poppins to start it up....therefore the derivative of the name MAry POppins

MAPO is the the name for the safety system that keeps monorail trains a safe enough distance apart. According to the Wikipedia entry on the WDW Monorails the system was named after the company Walt formed to deal with Disneyland's transportation. He used the profits from Mary Poppins hence why the company was named "MAPO".

[DisneyMom]

MAPO is the the name for the safety system that keeps monorail trains a safe enough distance apart. According to the Wikipedia entry on the WDW Monorails the system was named after the company Walt formed to deal with Disneyland's transportation. He used the profits from Mary Poppins hence why the company was named "MAPO".

Wow, could we have used MAPO in Chatsworth to avoid that horrible crash?
How does it work?

[Ms. Matterhorn]

I wonder who's sleeping in the living room? It's Uncle Ralph!
Wake up you old rattlesnake!
What do you like for breakfast? Do you like Maypo?
Tastes like maple sugar candy.

I want my Maypo!

Maple-flavored Maypo Oat Cereal!
Tastes like maple sugar candy
Please, Mom, always have it handy
Every single morning, I want my Maypo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ9KCkd4Xiw&NR=1

[Ms. Matterhorn]

In addition - from what I recall, MAPO is the old name for the manufacturing and production arm of Imagineering before it all merged under WDI. From what I've read (but cannot confirm), Walt Disney used the profits from Mary Poppins to start it up....therefore the derivative of the name MAry POppins

True dat!

[felinefan]

The Vermont Country Store sells Maypo.

[Ms. Matterhorn]

^I love the Vermont Country Store!

http://www.vermontcountrystore.com

[Shorty82]

Wow, could we have used MAPO in Chatsworth to avoid that horrible crash?
How does it work?

This is just a very simple explanation and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. BW or someone else in Monorails could most likely explain it better but I'll try.

At regular intervals along the beam are sensors that communicate to a central computer and each of the monorail trains' computers. The beam is divided into zones by these sensors and only one train can be in a zone at a time. On the control panel in the cab of the monorails is what looks a lot like a traffic light. Green is normal and means it is safe to travel forward. Yellow means you are approaching another train and need to stop before entering the next zone. Red means you've crossed into the same zone as another train and the monorail's computer will override the pilot and lock the emergency brakes.

Red MAPOs can happen for reasons other than getting to close to a train, such as approaching an unpowered section of beam or a switch beam that's not in the normal position (so trains can be moved from one beam to another). For this reason there is a MAPO override button but the pilot has to hold the button and the train is limited to a very low speed. If a pilot gets a red MAPO for coming to close to another train (other than during MAPO tests) he or she automatically gets a safety reprimand and after, I think, three of these gets forced transferred out of Monorails and can't come back for a long time.

Every morning forward and reverse MAPO tests are performed as the trains are brought into service and a forward test is again performed in the afternoon. One time I was on a monorail when a MAPO test was performed. The train stopped, the pilot came over the intercom and told us a safety check was being performed that involved forward motion and a sudden stop. We started moving and all of a sudden the brakes locked and locked hard. Sudden stop doesn't describe what happened. Later I talked to BW about it and he said that the nearly all of the braking power is used when the MAPO system is activated while normal braking uses only a small percentage of the available power.

A similar system is used on the WDWRR to prevent the trains from getting to close there too. The track is divided into zones and when a train is in a zone a signal at the beginning of the zone is red. If a train runs a red signal the brakes lock and the fireman has to get out of the train to reset the brakes.

A big difference between the system used on the WDWRR and the Monorails is that the system used to activate the brakes on the trains is something physically hitting a switch on the underside of the train while the monorails use a computer. IIRC the system in place on the WDWRR is also called MAPO.